


Prepare to Die Hard!

by GuestWriter



Series: "It's the 80!" [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - 1980s, Character Death, Gun Violence, Implied/Referenced Terrorism, M/M, die hard au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27822916
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GuestWriter/pseuds/GuestWriter
Summary: Enbarr policeman Hubert Vestra flew across the country to visited his estranged husband, Byleth and daughter on the Goddess's Rite of Rebirth in hopes of saving his marriage. But things get complicated fast when the holiday party at Verdant Industries is interrupted by a group of terrorists who took over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Soon Hubert realizes that there's no one to save the hostages, but himself.---Or Goth Die Hard
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth/Hubert von Vestra
Series: "It's the 80!" [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2036068
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

There was slight turbulence that lightly raddled the plane. Hubert instinctually clung on to the armrests of his seat until his knuckles turned white. He was doing his best to hide the panic building in his chest. After a few more bumps, the plane taxied down the runway. Hubert felt the blood slowly return to his fingers once he released his death grip. He exhaled out his noses.

Hubert stood to grab his carry on. The passenger next to him pulled on his coat. Hubert glanced down, doing his best to not glare. 

“First time flying?” The older man smiled up at the brooding one.

Hubert scrunched his nose and clenched his jaw. “No, what gave you that idea?”

The older man nodded and let go of Hubert’s coat. “Ah, well here’s some advice for you. The secret of successful air travel? After you get where you're going, you take off your shoes and socks. Then you walk around on the rug barefoot and make fists with your toes.”

Hubert did his best to hide his disdain for his fellow passenger. “Fists... with my toes.” He quirked an eyebrow.

“Maybe it's not a fist when it's your toes...I mean like this...work out that time zone tension. Better than a cup of coffee and a hot shower for the old jet lag. I know it sounds crazy. Trust me. I've been doing it for three years.” The man’s smile made his face punch able.

Hubert stretched to finally wrestle down his bag, his coat opened slightly to relieve his gun. The man sunk back into his seat; his eyes widen with surprise.

Hubert smirked down at the man, making him seem bigger than it was. “It's okay. I'm a cop.” He pushes his coat open a little more to show his badge. “Trust me. I've been doing it for five.”

Hubert doesn’t wait for a for a response. He exists the plane and walks through the terminal. Many of the people around him stay clear. Hubert was used to it, his presence a little too menacing for pleasant conversation.

“Sir! Sir, you forgot… you forgot your bear!” The stewardess ran up to him with a large Armored Bear Stuffy warped in her arms. 

Hubert scrunched his face and she shrunk back. “Thank you.” Hubert took the bear and again tried to not be so cold to the woman, she was just being helpful after all. With the teddy bear in hand, Hubert continued to the airport exist.

\---

Byleth waited among the crowd of his coworkers, beer in hand. His boss, Nader Nardel stood on a desk, popping open a champagne bottle. The Almyrain man was overly excited as usual. Mr. Nardel was the V.P. of Sales for Verdant Industries. 

Verdant Industries was celebrating their annual Rite of Rebirth party and Byleth’s first. Byleth just wanted to go home to his daughter, but playing ball meant he had to make an appearance. 

“Ladies and gentlemen...I congratulate each and every one of you for making this one of the greatest days in the history of Verdant Industries...” Mr. Nardel raised his glass to the crowd before him.

Byleth didn’t get to hear the rest of the speech when Hilda sauntered up to him with a printout. The poor woman was seven months pregnant and as much as she complained and tried to slack off, she was still the hardest working assistant Byleth ever had. He finishes his beer as he looked over the document. 

Walking back to his office with Hilda in tow, Byleth felt the slimy presence of Lorenz Hellman Gloucester fall into step next to him. 

“Ah Byleth, how are you this evening? I was hoping you might accompany me to dinner once all the festivities are concluded.” Lorenz played the smooth eligible bachelor well. Or he would have if Byleth did see right through his playboy façade.

Byleth ignored Lorenz’s advances and he continued to read. Hilda followed behind, trying to hold back her snickering.

Lorenz wasn’t one to be deterred. “I was thinking of roaring fireplaces...mulled wine and a nice beast meat teppanyaki...” He at least stopped in Byleth’s office’s doorway.

Byleth finished reading the report before turning to Hilda. “I can handle this from here, go back to the party.”

Hilda was slow to move, from the pregnancy or general laziness it was hard to say. “Well if you say so, but don’t expect me to come back if you need help.” With a wink, the pink haired woman shuffled out of the office. She bumped Lorenz into the door frame. 

Lorenz rubbed his shoulder with a wince before turning the charm back on. “Well Byleth, would you care to spend the evening with me?”

“No.” Byleth give the other man a pointed glance at the door as he picked up the phone. Lorenz left in a huff, muttering under his breath.

It rings a few times before a tiny voice answered. “Vestra residence. Wendy Vestra speaking.” 

He smiles softly to himself. “Hello, Wendy Vestra. This is your father.”

“Daddy! When are you coming home?!” The young girl’s monotoned voiced peaking with exactment.

Byleth gave another look at the work on his desk. “Soon. You'll be in bed when I get there, though.”

“Will you come say 'good night?”

“Don't I always, you little beast? Now put Raphael on the line, and no searching the house for presents!” Byleth did his best to sound strict.

“I didn't look in the front closet under the steps!” Wendy giggled before taking a small pause. “Is Papa coming home with you?”

Byleth leaned back in his chair and swayed it side to side. “Well, we'll see what the Goddess and Daddy can do. Little beast, put Raphael on, okay?”

The loud happy-go-lucky babysitter must have taking the phone because his boom voice come on the line. “Hey, Byleth. You coming home soon?”

“I'm working on it.” Byleth leaned back up to rest his arms on the desk. “Did Mr. Vestra call?”

“No.” Raphael sounded as disappointed as Byleth felt.

He covered his brow with a hand as he continued to talk into the phone. “Well...maybe there wasn't time before the flight. You should probably make up the spare room just in case.”

“Already did.” Raphael’s enthusiasm was back, making Byleth’s smile return.


	2. Chapter 2

Hubert stood on the sidewalk at the passenger pick up. His long trench coat draped over his arm carrying his bag and the comically larger bear in a choke hold in the other. The stifling heat of Derdrui made him sweaty and uncomfortable. Families of all shapes and sizes swarm the sidewalk, laughing and shouting loudly. A particular couple was swinging a small boy between them and his giggles made Hubert’s lip twitch slightly.

Off to his left, a thin, shorter man in a chauffeur’s uniform held a Verdant Industries cardboard sign with ‘Hubert Vestra’ in large black calligraphy letters. There was also a little doodle of a limo in the bottom corner. 

Hubert step over to him and waited as the man cowered a little before him. “I am Hubert Vestra.” 

“Ignatz. I'm your limo driver. May I help you with your um bear?” Ignatz gave Hubert a weak smile. 

Hubert just handed over the bear. Surprisingly, Ignatz didn’t crumple under the massive stuffed animal.

Once they were both situated in the front seat of the limo, Ignatz seemed a little more comfortable. “Um, feel free to just sit back and relax. We have everything you could need; CD, CB, TV, VHS, telephone,” Ignatz looked for his shoulder at the bear completely occupying the back seat, “and a full bar.” 

Hubert gave a single nod as Ignatz continued to ramble a little. “So, the Verdant Industries Rite of Rebirth party… You must have some impressive friends to get in there.”

Hubert tried to get more comfortable in his seat. “My husband works there.” He felt a sharp stab in his hip. Pulling out a handful of pencils, Hubert scowls as Ignatz.

The driver blushes in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry! I didn't expect you to sit up front.” He hastily takes the pencils and shoves them in the glovebox. “So, does he live here in Derdrui?”

Hubert becomes a little too interested in view out the front window. “For the last six moons.”

He could feel Ignatz mulling it over. “Yet, you still in Enbarr?”

Hubert shot Ignatz a glare. “You're nosey, you know that, Ignatz?”

The man paled considerable and tightened his grip on the steering wheel. “Sorry! I’m used to being a cabdriver, people there expect a little conversation.” 

Hubert let out a long breath and returned to looking out the window. “It’s fine.”

“So, are you divorced?” 

Hubert throw his head back and rolled his eyes. “He had a good job, it turned into a great career.” There seemed to be no point fighting this man.

Ignatz asked his next question a little more softly. “So, why didn't you come?”

“Because I'm a Enbarr cop from Enbarr, and I got six months backlog of TWSITD suspects I'm still trying to put behind bars. I don't just get up and move.” Hubert tried to sink further into his seat.

Ignatz hummed as he thought about what to say. “You mean you thought he wouldn't make it out here and he'd come crawling on back, so why bother to pack?”

Hubert chuckled, this Ignatz character got straight to the point. Maybe Hubert was warming up to him, a little.

“Do you mind if I play some music?” Ignatz was already fidgeting with radio.

Hubert stared him down. “By all means.”

A metal version of a Rite of Rebirth song came through the speakers. Hubert looked over in surprise as Ignatz started jamming out. They didn’t speak again until they arrived at their destination. 

Verdant Industries was housed in an enormous skyscraper. Hubert had to crane his neck to see the top as he existed the limo.

Ignatz rushes around to pop the trunk. “So, you go upstairs to the party, your husband sees you, you run into each other's arms. Music comes up, you live happily ever after, that’s it?”

Hubert continued to stare up at the impressive building. “I could live with it.”

Ignatz looked a little skeptical. “And if it doesn’t work out?”

Hubert shrugged his shoulders. “I’ll find someplace.”

Ignatz gives him a worried look and tilts his head a bit. “How about this. I'll pull into the parking garage and wait. If it all works out give me a call on the car phone and I'll leave your bags inside at the desk. And if not... I'll get you to a hotel.” Ignatz fishes a business card out of his pocket and handed it over.

Hubert stared at the business card for a moment before pocketing it. “Thank you, Ignatz.” 

Ignatz gave him an amused smirk. “Don’t be afraid to tip, they’re paying.”

Hubert can’t help but laugh as he headed to the entrance.

Pushing open the large glass door, Hubert walked into a beautiful lobby of marble and gold. The only person present other than Hubert was the security guard at the massive desk. Hubert walked over to the sign-in sheet.

As he filled in the blanks on the sheet, Hubert ask a question to the guard. “I’m looking for Byleth Vestra.”

The security guard frowned for a second as he looked at his computer. “Sorry, no Vestras.”

Hubert grimaced and the security guard straightened up at the possible threat. Hubert tried to smile in reassurance. “Try Eisner.”

The security guard scrolls through again. “Ah, yes. Thirtieth floor.” The guard pointed towards elevators and returns the smile. 

Hubert knocked his knuckles on the marble desktop before heading to the elevators. “Lovely.”

Once the elevator took off, Hubert rolled his neck to work out the kinks. As the elevator slowed down, there was the loud thumping of music coming from the other side. The doors open to reveal a madhouse. People were dancing, a few were making out in the corner. Waiters with trays moved about the crowd. Hubert grabbed a beer off the closest one and push forward. A drunk woman bumped into him. “Ooh you’re spooky. I like it.” She gave him a sultry smile before being dragged off by another drunk laughing woman.

Hubert took a long swing of his beer. “Fucking Derdrui.”

Hubert moved around the edge of the party, gradually spiraling inward. Sipping the beer, he moved through the dense party. People he didn’t know threw streamers over him. Finally, he spotted his husband. 

Byleth was speaking with a group of coworkers, documents in hand, it was obvious he was still in work mode. He seemed cool and collected even with all the chaos swirling around him. Hubert stared for a moment. He was always a little envious how much Byleth could seem to fit right in regardless of where he was. 

Byleth looks up and his purple eyes meet Hubert’s yellow ones. The party fade into the background. Byleth excuses himself from the group. Hubert might have let his eyes roam over the shorter man. He always looked good in a suit. Hubert finished his drink right as Byleth reached him. 

“You made it.” Byleth was as hard to read as ever. 

Hubert school his own features to remain neutral. “I did.”

Without saying anything, Byleth lead him away from the party. Byleth led them to his office. Hubert noted the ‘Eisner’ nameplate on the door. They stopped to find a purple haired man in a very expensive looking suit, sitting in Byleth’s chair, and leaning over the desk. The man straightened up with a start and quickly wiped his nose. 

“Ah...hi...I just had to make a quick call, and this was the nearest phone...” He wiped down the desk a couple of times with his handkerchief.

“Lorenz, this is Hubert.” Byleth flatly introduced Hubert.

Lorenz paled. “You’re policeman?”

Byleth gestured to Lorenz. “Lorenz is in charge of International Acquisitions.”

Hubert felt the need to mess with this man. “That explains the recent deal with Sreng.” He gave a small tap to his nose.

Lorenz stood up a little too fast and swayed back in forth a bit. 

“Don’t worry, I’m off duty.” Hubert said it with extra sarcasm. He heard Byleth give a quiet snort.

Lorenz adjusted his tie and ran a hand through his long hair. “Can I offer you anything? Perhaps some food, cake, or maybe champagne?”

“No thank you.” There was a bit more venom in his voice than Hubert intended.

Byleth lightly pulled Hubert to the side and held the door open. “Get out of my office, Lorenz.”

Lorenz tugged on his suit jacket, messing with the button. “Very well. It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Vestra and I’ll see you after the holidays, Byleth.” Hubert did not like how that man said Byleth’s name.

Byleth didn’t say anything until after he shut the door. “What a jackass.”

They both stood there for a moment. Hubert isn’t sure what to do. “Is there somewhere I can freshen up?”

Byleth nodded and opened another door. “Private bathroom. One of the many perks.”

“Right.” Hubert entered the bathroom and shut the door behind him. It was a full bathroom with a little shower. Hubert snared at the room for a moment. Going over to the toilet, Hubert shut the lid and sat down. He rested his head in his hands for a moment before looking down at his shoes. Remembering what the passenger on the plane said, Hubert undid the laces and yanked off his shoes and socks. 

Hubert scrunched up his toes in the bathmat at his feet. “Son of a bitch.” He flexed them a few times. It frustratingly worked. 

After a few more moments, Hubert got up and rolled up the sleeves of his button down. He hung his coat on the back of the door. He splashed some cold water on his face. He faced himself in the mirror, trying to give himself a silent peep talk.

Existing the bathroom, Hubert found Byleth working at his desk. He did always have a knack for getting caught up in work. But then again, so did Hubert.  
Hubert walked over to stand over Byleth. A little splash of red caught his eye. A red orchid grew lazily in a pot next to a picture of Wendy. They used to grow those flowers in their window box back in Enbarr. 

Byleth finished signing a document. “Do you have a place to stay? I didn't even ask you on the phone.”

Hubert step back as Byleth swiveled his chair to face the tall man. “I was thinking about getting a hotel.”

Byleth winkled his forehead in confusion. “Where? It’s the Rite of Rebirth. Everywhere will be full. Look, I have a spare bedroom. It's not huge, but Wendy would love to have you at the house.”

Hubert let his face fall flat. “Just Wendy?”

Byleth stood up and walked around the desk. He faced away from Hubert as he pretended to reorganize some files on file cabinet. “I would too.”

Hubert stares at the back of Byleth’s head. The air felt a little thick and Hubert took a few steps to stand behind him. He could feel the heat coming off Byleth.

Just as Hubert reached out, Byleth turned around and looked up at him. He was trying to hid his emotions. “I’ve missed you.”

Hubert crossed his arms defensively. “But not enough to keep my name. When did you go back to being ‘Mr. Eisner?’” There was a lot more bite to his tone than Hubert meant. But he had felt a jab to his chest every time he saw the name.

“This is a Almyrain Company. They figured a man with a husband on the other side of the country was a on his way out the door…” Byleth stepped away and crossed his arms. There was an angry glint in his eyes.

“Sure. I remember this one particular married man… he went out the door so fast you could feel the wind chill …” Hubert followed after to get in Byleth’s space.

But the man remained closed off. “Didn't we have this same conversation during the Guardian Moon? Damn it, Hubert, there was an opportunity out here and I had to take it.” 

Hubert felt his nose twitch. “And what about our marriage?”

Byleth throw his hands up and stalked to the other side of the room. “My job and my title and my salary did nothing to our marriage. You were just too caught up in your own spiraling career that you failed to see my was taking off!” 

Hubert was seeing red. “You know what my career means to me, how important it is to me!”

“I supported you through everything, all of it! And when I needed the same in return you chose your job over our marriage!” Byleth jabbed himself in the chest to emphasize his last point. “I deserve to have my own career too!” 

There was a pause as if Byleth was challenging Hubert to say something, but Hubert just sets his jaw and remained silent. Just then the door opened and a tiny pregnant woman leaned inside.

The pink haired woman looked around the room for a second, sensing the tension in the air. “Geez… Mr. Eisner, um Mr. Nardel is looking for you. He wants you to say something to the troops.”

Byleth let out a shaky breath through his nose. “Thank you, Hilda. I’ll be right there. Oh, this is…”

“Hubert Eisner, the most supportive man in all of Fodlen.” He was being overly sarcastic as he glared at Byleth. 

Byleth scoffed and rolled his eyes before leading Hilda out. Hubert could hear her comment, “What a piece of work!” as the door shut behind them.

Hubert flopped himself down into the office sofa and rubbed his eyes as he laid his head back. “You fool!”

\--- 

A delivery truck stopped in front of the service elevator on the ground floor. As the truck seat idle, the uniformed driver made a note on his clipboard. 

The security guard at the front desk noticed the delivery truck on his monitor. He continued to watch it and only half noticed as a sports car pulled up in front of the building and two extremely well-dressed businesswomen climbed out. They made it up the stairs, chatting as tall blonde woman in a cream coat opened the door for a small cheery woman with green hair. They crossed the lobby to the security guard’s desk to sign in.

Once there, the blonde leaned over the security guard to watch the rerun of the game on his portable TV “...So, Luca rebounds… listen, this is a great play… feeds Iris on the break, over to Bernhard, to Gajus, back to Iris in the lane and…” Suddenly the woman pulled out a pistol with a silencer and aimed it at the security guard’s forehead. 

Before the he could react, she pulled the trigger. “Boom...two points.” It was over too quick. The female killer moved behind the desk, stepping over the pooling blood. The killer, Catherine took off the silencer and looked at the video monitor of the delivery truck. The other woman, Flayn, followed behind and opened her briefcase to took out a portable CB radio. “We're in.” 

The driver nodded at the security camera as several men climbed out of the rear of the van and began unloading wooden crates by the service elevator.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this yesterday, but some stuff came up. I'm going to try really hard to post twice a week so I can make my deadline. 
> 
> Also, I want to apologize for any changes in tense. I wanted to try something creative with the bad guy parts, but I just ended up confusing myself. I tried to get them all, but I am sure I missed some.


	3. Chapter 3

Hubert finally pulled himself up from the sofa. He fished the business card out of his pocket and picked up the desk phone. A small photograph fell out with it. It was from the time they had gone to the harvest festival. Hubert was carrying Wendy on his shoulders, while Byleth fed them cotton candy.

Hubert finished dialing Ignatz’s number before he bent down to pick up the photo. As he listened to the phone ring, Hubert flipped the photo over. ‘We miss you, Papa. Love Wendy.’ Her handwriting was too neat for a five year.

Hubert set the photograph face down for a moment and readjusted his grip on the phone. He could hear Ignatz pick up. The man was still listening to that loud screaming he call music. “Hey Hubert, how did it go?”

“I’m working on it.” Hubert pulled a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. He knew Byleth would not want him smoking in the office, but Hubert was feeling petty.   
Ignatz sounded confused. “What do you mean you’re ‘working on it?’” 

Hubert fumbled with his lighter and cursed to himself. “I mean I’m working on it. There was some progress, followed by a minor setback. I might have been a bit…”   
Hubert realized there was no sound coming from the other end of the phone. He glared down at the phone cradle before tapping it repeatedly. But there were no dial tones. 

Putting the phone down, Hubert went back to the bathroom. Of course, a fancy place like this would have bathroom phones. He tried that one too, only to find it dead as well. 

The sounds of the party changed abruptly. Cheers turned to screams and gunfire rang out. Hubert grabbed his coat off the door hook and took out his shoulder harness. Strapping it on, Hubert drew his gun. He went over to the office door and cracked it to peek out into the hall.

There were two terrorists, armed with machine guns searching the offices on the hall one at a time. They opened a door, looked in from the hallway, and moved on quickly to the next. They were four offices away and moving fast. Hubert sneered to himself, he was outgunned.

Hubert looked across the corridor and saw the stairwell door. It was too far to reach without being seen. Hubert stepped back, turned off the safety on his gun and braced himself.   
He opened the door, peers through the crack again. 

The two terrorists reach the office just before Byleth’s and threw open the door. More screaming came from the room as the two terrorists entered the office. A moment later a man, trying desperately to pull up his pants and woman, buttoning her blouse were pushed out into the hall and toward the larger group being gathered in the main area.

Hubert took his chance in the confusion and stealthily made it through the stairwell door without being detected. As he starts taking the stairs two at a time, he realized he forgot his shoes. “Fuck.” That would just have to be a problem for later. He continued his way up the stairs.

\---

Flayn entered a small control room and comfortably sat behind a maintenance keyboard. Singing to herself, she started typing in some commands and locked down the passenger elevators up to the thirtieth floor. Then several more computer commands to close the heavy steel gates in the parking garage. Flayn finished typing and disconnected the keyboard. With a gleeful hum, she ripped out the wires from beneath the panel.

Meanwhile, Catherine grabbed a tool case from the elevator and joined her girlfriend Shamir. Playfully grabbing the annoyed woman in a leather jacket. They headed for the basement stairwell. Bulky man with slightly greying brown hair, Alois, finished adjusting buttons and snaps on a pilfered uniform. He took his position behind the front desk.

Once in the basement, Shamir went to stand in front of an intimidating matrix of phone lines. Catherine came over, gave the dark-haired woman punch on the arm. Shamir sighed with an eye roll before pointing out what to do. Together they forcefully cutting through four CPV plastic conduits which ran out of the main panel over their heads. Shamir gave Catherine a pinch on the rear before walking away like nothing happened.

On the thirtieth-floor, the service elevator opened and out stepped Seteth. He was impeccably dressed, tall and lean. His green hair was combed back in a handsome fashion. He stepped out into the lobby like he owned the entire building. 

Flayn skipped out of the control room and handed Seteth a key card. “We are all set, brother.” 

Seteth waved the key card over a magnetic plate and the door to the lobby locks with a heavy thud. “Thank you Flayn. The Goddess's Rite of Rebirth is about to begin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last week after I posted, one of the YouTube channels I'm subscript posted a video about Die Hard and I highly suggest you check it out. It's call "DIE HARD and the Art of Couples Reconciliation" by Cinema Therapy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBHejcVG4ww.


	4. Chapter 4

Byleth was yanked down from the chair he was standing on and shoved towards the growing group of his terrified co-workers. Two of the terrorists headed down the hall towards the offices, dragging out more people. Two were in varying stages of undress.

Byleth looked around when he realized Hubert wasn’t there. Byleth chewed his bottom lip as he scanned the crowd. Someone sharply pushed him from behind. Byleth stumbled forward and he glared over his shoulder at the terrorist. Lorenz reached out to take Byleth’s hand and moved them further into lobby. For his credit, Lorenz was doing his best to at least look like he wasn’t about to piss himself. 

More gun fire was used to silence the everyone.

Byleth watched a tall man take off his long coat before he stepped up on top of a desk to address the crowd. He had a small pocketbook in hand, flipping through several pages. 

He cleared his throat and started to read. “Ladies and gentlemen, due to the Verdant Industries’ legacy of greed around the globe, it is about to be taught a lesson on real power. You...will be witnesses. If our demands are not met, however…” The man coldly looked over everyone. “You may become participants instead. Now, where is...’Nardel?’” He gave false smile. “Where is the man who used to be in charge here?”

Byleth spied Mr. Nardel just to his right. Taking a side-step, Byleth both obscured Mr. Nardel and prevented the man from taking another step. But Byleth’s actions caught the attention of one of the terrorists, who roughly grabbed Mr. Nardel and drug him forward. The man in charged stared Byleth down for a moment before turning his attention on Mr. Nardel. 

“How do you do? I am Seteth. If you would kindly follow me.” Seteth led a few of his men and Mr. Nardel to the elevator. Byleth watched the numbers light up until it got to the executive floor. 

With a frustrated sigh, Byleth located Hilda and helped her sit down on the decorative rocks. It was going to be a long night.

\---

Hubert existed the stairwell on an unfinished thirty-second floor. The dark floor was covered in plastic tarps and power tools. A few walls were still just studs. As he moved throw the floor, Hubert spotted a telephone on one of the work desks. 

“Shit...” This phone was dead as well. Hubert slammed the phone back down. 

He let out a huff as he looked around for another solution. Walking over to the floor to ceiling windows, he noticed the high-rise apartment building a half-block away sparkled with lights. Hubert stared at a young man in his bedroom. The boy sat at a writing desk, working diligently. 

Hubert knitted his brow as he formed a plan. 

Hubert storms off back to the stairwell and made his way up to the next floor when a noise to his right caught his attention. He moved silently up a few more flights. Quietly, he cracked the door to a mezzanine and looked out onto a Machine Floor on the lower level of the roof.

Three terrorists were unpacking wooden crates. Hubert wasn’t sure what they were doing but it seemed very militant and ominous. One pointed up to the ceiling and says something in Dagden. Hubert backed up to hide in the shadows before slipping back into the stairwell.

Once he made it to the thirty-third floor, Hubert slipped out once more. There were voices in the room across the hall. He moved as silently towards what had to be a conference room. Hubert slowly raised his gun as he pressed himself against the opposing wall. 

“The code key, please...?” A man with a heavy accent sounded slightly annoyed. 

“It's useless to you! There are seven safeguards on our vault, and the code key is only one of them! You'll never get it open!” A man who sounded like Byleth’s boss plead. 

Hubert peaked around the corner. In the office across a large conference room sat Mr. Nardel surround by four terrorists. One, a green haired man held a gun in Mr. Nardel’s face.  
“I told you…” A small woman at the desk computer swung her legs in the chair as she smirked at a tall blonde. 

The blonde huffed. “It’s not over.”

The man must have given them a look because they both feigned guilt. He turned back to Mr. Nardel and cocked the gun. “This is too nice a suit to ruin, Mr. Nardel.”

Mr. Nardel gripped the armrests of his chair with both hands as he tried to put distance between himself and the gun. “I don't know it! Get on a Goddamn jet to Almyra and ask the chairman! I'm telling you! You're just going to have to kill me…”

“Fine.” The man pulled the trigger and Hubert flinched back as Mr. Nardel was shot dead. 

Someone let out a heavy sigh. “We shall do this the hard way then. Shamir, please dispose of that. Catherine, would you kindly check on how things are progressing on the machine floor.”

The small woman held out her hand to take a few bullions from the blonde who grumbled to herself. They all got up to head off to their assigned tasks. Hubert swiftly moved back towards the stairwell when he knocked into a statue of a wyvern. Hubert was able to catch it in time. But the thud of setting it back down was unnaturally loud. 

Hubert quickly ducks into an adjoining room and locked the door. He silently cursed Agarthium metal as he listened for anyone approaching his hiding spot. Heavy footsteps fell short of Hubert hid himself, and someone tries the handle. When they found it locked, they moved along. Hubert let out a slow breath, but he wasn’t would of the woods yet.

“Continue with your tasks. Come along, Flayn.” The muffled voice of the man sounded stern. 

Hubert heard them leave. But he waited a few moments before slipping out of the room. He hurried back to the unfinished floor.

Hubert paced back and forth, his bare feet kicking up drywall and saw dust in his wake. “Think… think.” Suddenly, he stopped to look up at the ceiling and saw a sprinkler head.   
He dropped his gaze to the wall and focused on a small red fire alarm switch by the door.

Stalking over, Hubert practically ripped the handle off when he pulled the alarm. He turned on his heel and marched over to the window. A few minutes later, red and blue lights lit up the highway heading to the skyscraper. But it wasn’t even a moment later when one truck, then two, then the rest of them flipped off their lights and turned back. “Fuck!” 

Hubert hissed. He could feel his face twist in rage. But he didn’t have time to be that upset, because not a moment later the service elevator pinged.

\---

Seteth led Flayn and few of his men to the safe room. The huge corporate safe loomed in front of them. Flayn directed the men to place three kit bags onto a table and rolls up her sleeves. She swivels a computer console into handy reach, sits down, and let it spin around a time or two.

“How long do you think this will take.” Seteth was very patient with the woman.

She grinned and tapped of the computer keyboard in front of her. “I shall have it done in no time at all, brother. Thirty minutes to break the code... Two hours for the five mechanicals. The seventh lock...unfortunately is out of my hands.” She paused to frown up at her brother.

Seteth patted her shoulder. ‘If all goes according plan, the FBI will take that problem for us.”

Suddenly, alarms started blaring and red lights flash near the stairwell exists. Seteth growled a little undignifiedly and grabbed a walkie talkie from one of his men. “Call 911, give them the name and badge number on your uniform and cancel the alarm...then disable the system.” 

He looked up to Shamir, who just gives a nod before taking off to the elevator. “Alois, what floor did that alarm go off on?”

The man’s voice crackled over the walkie talkie. “The thirty-second.”

Shamir coldly pressed the button and checked her machine gun as the doors closed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still going to post two chapters a week, but probably not on Tuesdays and Thursdays like I planned. I just moved and am starting a new job next week, so my schedule is a little hectic. Please bare with me.


	5. Chapter 5

Hubert crouched under a covered desk. Someone hit the lights, blinding Hubert momentarily. Hubert could make out a pair of black boots moving silently in his direction. Hubert looks down the aisle next to the windows. It led to a series of cubicles at the other end of the floor and a clear path to the stairwell, if he can make it past the person.

Hubert held completely still as the boots came closer. A monotoned woman started speaking. “The fire alarm has been called off. No one is coming to help you. You might as well come out and join the others.” 

Hubert moved stealthily when he saw the boots turn. He made it to the first cubical when he heard gun fire. He didn’t bother to look back, based on how close it sounded, Hubert knew the desk he had just been under was destroyed.

Hubert continued to move his way through the cubicles until he came upon discarded power tools. Acting quickly, Hubert turned on a radical arm saw and ducked behind some plastic tarps. Getting low, Hubert waited for the woman to approach. 

Footsteps came closer and the saw powered down. Hubert slipped out and presses the barrel of his gun to the back of the dark-haired woman’s head. “Police, freeze.”  
The woman raised her hands, the machine gun hanging from the strap on her shoulders. She slowly turned around and gave Hubert a cold glare. He kept his eyes trained on her movement. 

“Nothing personal.” She didn’t even flinch under Hubert’s glare. In fact, she moved faster than Hubert to keep up with. The woman kicked the gun out of Hubert’s grip and spun to kick him again across the face. Sending Hubert stumbling into plastic wrapped filing cabinets.

The woman moved to fired her machine gun, but Hubert tackled her over a desk. She punched him in the nose and jumped to her feet. Hubert followed and began grappling with her until he managed to get behind her. He locks his arms around the woman’s neck in a chokehold. The woman struggled viciously in a move that sent them both reeling into the drywall. Hubert held on as they slam through several plastic board partitions. They careened across the hall, slamming through the stairwell door, and crashed down landing.  
They tumbled down the concrete steps into the wall on the next landing below. For a moment, they both laid still. Hubert, breathing was labored, released her neck and the woman's head flops sickeningly to the side.

For a moment Hubert just stared at the dead woman. Then, slowly, methodically, he searched her. He turns all her pockets inside out, looked at her clothing labels, and found a Dagdain license. 

He expertly examined the machine gun when a hissing sound came from somewhere caught Hubert’s attention. He rose, moved cautiously to the source. It was the woman’s CB radio, which has fallen from her waist during the struggle. Hubert stared at it, formulating a new plan.

\---

Byleth rubbed Hilda’s shoulders. Her back was flaring up from sitting on the ground for so long. The pregnant woman was holding up a whole lot better than the purple man who was currently coming down from his high. Lorenz was drenched in sweat, his handkerchief long ruined from trying to keep his composure.  
Byleth was eyeing Lorenz as he swayed where he sat. Maybe Byleth should have drank more at the party, because he really could use a drink right now. Glancing down at his watch, it was well past the time he was supposed to be home. Byleth only hoped Wendy wasn’t missing him too much. Hopefully, she would still have parents after tonight. Byleth exhaled heavily through his nose at that particular thought.

Not a moment later, a woman started screaming at the top of her lungs. Byleth watched as two terrorists rush to the service elevator and pull out a swivel chair with a dead body of one the female terrorists. There was a paper taped to her shirt. 

Seteth stormed out from the executive offices and pushed one of his men out of the way. He ripped the paper off and read it for a moment. “I appreciate the machine gun. I will put it to good use. May the Goddess’ light shine upon you.”

Seteth crumbled the paper in his fist in anger. After he flung the ball of paper away, Seteth readjusted his suit jacket. “Please move our guests.” No one moved for a moment. “NOW!” 

The terrorists move quickly shoved and herded the hostages away. Byleth helped Hilda to stand, but his focus was still on the body. Despite the gruesome scene, it gave Byleth a small sense of comfort. This had Hubert written all over it. 

\---

Hubert flattened himself against the top of the elevator car as he listened to the two terrorists below.

“Seteth sir, we have to tell Catherine…” It sounded like a younger man.

The man from the conference room, Seteth, hummed in agreement. “Yes, but first, Cyril and Gates take the body somewhere out of sight. No need to… encourage the hostages too much.”

Hubert stored that information away for later. He did some quick math in his head. Three in the elevator, one in the lobby and two or more with hostage. Plus, the three in machine room and maybe, Hubert figured that had to be at least nine terrorist total, not counting the dead one.

Hubert heard Seteth exist the elevator before it started to ascended. He grabbed onto the thick cables to keep his balance. Hubert could feel the grease squish between his fingers. He rubbed away some of the sweat falling into his eyes. The car sped up the shaft, another car going down passed by inches from Hubert’s leg. Soon the car stopped at the machine floor. The doors open and Hubert heard them roll the chair with the body out. 

Hubert looked up. A metal catwalk ran around the inside of the elevator shaft. He stood up slowly to maintain his balance before pulling himself up onto it. As he moved along the catwalk looking for a way out, he leaned over slightly to look down.

It was total darkness below. Hubert picked up a loose bolt off the floor and tossed it down the shaft. Four seconds past before he heard a soft clang as the bolt bounced off the concrete far below. Hubert growled down into the darkness. He continued to on.

A door marked “Pump Room” was just ahead. Hubert pushed it open and slide inside. The only light came from the red glow of a safety light. The room was damp and full of pipes, so of which occasionally gave off jets of hot steam. There was another door at the far end which Hubert made his way to. He took a peek through the door to find the lower level of the roof. It was completely devoid of anything except for a heliport. Hubert rolled his shoulders before heading outside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truth be told Shamir would kick Hubert's ass without breaking a sweat, but I couldn't have the main hero die right off the bat. So I tried to make his win seem more like dumb luck than skill, I hope that came across.
> 
> I didn't mention this before because we don't see a lot of Wendy Vestra, but she is inspired by Wednesday Adams. Also, I didn't give Hubert and Byleth two child because I am not going to risk a Die Hard 5 scenario!


	6. Chapter 6

A filing cabinet was flung across the floor, drawers slammed out, papers flying through the air. Catherine let out a raged filled scream as she tossed a lamp against a wall, followed by punching a hole into the plaster.

Finally, Seteth went to her and laid a controlling hand on the woman's shoulder. “I know what you are feeling. But this is not productive….”

“I loved her! She was my only family!” Catherine angrily panted as she wiped her head towards Seteth. “I want blood, NOW!”

Seteth remained calm. “Not yet. The team in the machine room is not done. And Flayn needs time on the vault. Once the police arrive, they'll waste hours trying to negotiate and that's when we search for this man. Until then we do not alter the plan. Understood?”

Catherine just hurled a computer monitor threw the wood door, but she didn’t argue any further. 

A crackling sound comes over their CB radios before a clear voice started calling for help. “Mayday, Mayday! Anyone! Terrorists have seized and Verdant Industries’ building and are holding 30 or more hostages! I say again unknown number of terrorists, nine or more, armed with automatic weapons at Verdant Industries, Derdrui City... Somebody answer me, Sothis damnit!”

Catherine raised an eyebrow at Seteth with a satisfied look on her face. “That has to be coming from the room.”

Seteth let out a frustrated snarl before they both moved for the elevator. 

Catherine stormed forward. “No one kills him, but me.” She checked her magazine and snapped into her rifle as the elevator doors open for the roof.

\---

Byleth helped Hilda further into the office where the terrorists were moving the hostages. Suddenly there’s sense the agitation among their captors. Lorenz slide over to Byleth to help with Hilda. 

“What's happening?” Lorenz leaned in to whisper to Byleth. The man was still not fully come down from his high and swayed a little to close to Byleth. 

Byleth leaned away to put a more comfortable space between them. “Something's must have gone wrong.” 

Lorenz looked a little hopeful. “Do you think it’s the police?” 

Byleth shook his head. “Hubert.” 

Hilda rolled her eyes and waddled ahead of them to the closest place to sit down. Lorenz paled considerably. “Hubert? Sothis, he could fuck this whole thing up! What does he think he's doing?”  
Byleth was losing patience with this conversation. “He is a police officer.”

Lorenz was not about to let it go though. “He is a cop three thousand miles away. Without him, they might let us go...at least we have a chance...” 

“Tell that to Mr. Nardel.” Byleth dryly whisper to himself.

\---

Hubert tightened his grip on the radio as the woman on the other end tells he again the channel is reserved for emergencies only. He resisted the urge to beat the device against his tempt. “No shit, you imbecile! Does this sound like a leisurely call?!”

Hubert pushed of the concrete barrier. “They've already killed one hostage, and they're fortifying their positions as we speak! Now, send police backup!” 

The woman, again, did not sound like she believed him. “a reserved channel. If this is an emergency call, dial 911 on your telephone. Otherwise, I will report you to the police….”

Hubert did not let her finish. His rage getting the better of him. “Very well! Report me! Come down here and fucking arrest me! Send the police! For the love of Sothis, just do it NOW!” 

Before he could continue on his tirade, machine gun shells ripped into the concrete wall in front of him. Hubert ran as bullets tore into the wall behind him. He reached the corner and saw two other terrorists moving toward him. Before they could see him, he leapt down to the lower level out of range of Catherine.

Hubert ran for his life from the terrorist. But last minute he realizes he was being herded around the building toward Catherine. Suddenly, Hubert turns a corner and into Catherine. The tall woman fired a burst and Hubert doubles back to dodge the rain of bullets. 

Hubert made it back to the exterior door of the pump room. But it was locked from the inside. Hubert raised Shamir’s machine to shot the lock.

Shouldering his way through the door, Hubert made his way back the way he came to the catwalk. However, the dimly light elevator shaft was empty. The elevator car was gone. 

\---

Leonie took a packaged of grilled herring from the convince store shelf before thinking it over and grabbing a second. With a sigh, she dropped her purchases on counter. The clerk gave her a snort before ringing her up. “I thought you guys just ate donuts?”

Leonie gritted her teeth and did her best not to punch this jerk. She was saved by the hiss of her belt radio.

“Dispatch to One Azure Ten, over.” The dispatcher’s voice comes over the radio.

Leonie threw bullions on the counter and swiped up her snacks. “One Azure Ten, over.” She existed the convince store and headed to her curser. 

The dispatcher gives her the update. “Investigate a code two at Verdant Industries Plaza.”

Leonie unlocked the door and slid in behind the wheel. “Verdant Industries? Alright, I’m heading out.” She peeled out of the parking lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little short, but I wanted to get something out before the weekend. I hope you enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

Hubert heard Catherine approaching. He glared at his surroundings for a moment before giving the canvas strap of the machine gun a few tugs to test the resistance. Hubert let out all the slack in the gun sling then braced the weapon across the catwalk rail.

Cursing under his breath, Hubert lowered himself down to the air shaft. He immediately lost his balance and flopped against the side of the void like a rag doll. The air in his lunges evaporated and the panic threated to set it. 

Hubert forced a shaky breath and braced his feet against the cold metal of the shaft. His feet slowly moved down the walls feeling for the top of the air duct. He straightened his arms to give him more length to touch the edge of the duct. Suddenly, he felt something give above him and looked up.

The strap wasn’t meant to support his weight, a fact Hubert was all too aware of. Above him, the canvas end slipped through the clip. Hubert had a moment of free fall. It was instinct alone that Hubert managed to grab the ledge of the air duct and his body slammed into the metal wall with an echoing boom. Above him on the catwalk the rifle rattled on the metal outside the door.

There were heavy footsteps rushing towards him. Hubert struggled to hoist himself up into the air shaft. It was just in time too. A light shinnied down the shaft and loud cursing followed. After a few breathless moments, the person doubled back.

Hubert laid exhausted and motionless in the narrow crawl space. He awkwardly fished out the lighter from his pants pocket and thumbed it on. The flickering glow illuminated the long, long dark and narrow corridor full of weird shadows. Hubert rested his head on the cool metal and growled to himself. “Victory demands challenge, I suppose."

He repocketed the lighter and started crawling.

\---  
Catherine was in a silent fit of rage as she paced the machine room. “Goddess Damn it!” Her furry was getting the best of her.

A flicker of light from the cameras caught her attention. Then she thought, mentally retracing Hubert’s few options. Catherine’s eyes scanned the architecture here, and then suddenly she looked up. With a scream, she fired her gun across the ceiling at all the ducts and tubing above her. She listened for any sounds. 

She was about to raise her gun again, but was interrupted by Cyril. She threw him a nasty look to keep quiet. Suddenly, the duct groans slightly. Catherine stopped and looked up at the matrix of duct work, trying to single out the source of the sound. She slowly raised her rifle. Holding it upright he pressed the barrel up into the belly of the air duct, feeling for the weight of a body.

“Catherine! I have something to report! The police are here! Come on.” Gates rushed into the room right as Catherine was about to stab the next spot. She hesitated then lowered her gun to leave, angrily mumbling under her breath.

\---

A large LED window in the front of the safe beeped and letters creeped across the screen. ‘ACCESS CODE ACCEPTED.’ 

Flayn grinned from ear to ear. She spun to her computer to read the screen. ‘LOCK #1 DISABLED. DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?’

She put on her goggles with a giggle and held out her hands towards one of the terrorists with an exaggerated finger wiggle. The terrorist placed a giant drill in her out stretched grasp. Her tiny hand dropped under the weight. Flayn gave the drill a few power tests before turning back to the safe. "How Joyous!"

\---

The street was empty, quiet. Leonie pulled out of the shadows of a side street and began a slow cruise toward the Verdant Industries building. She leaned forward to stare up at the tower over the stirring wheel. It seemed calm; its glowing lights matched the warmth of the holiday decorations on the streets. Leonie slowed to a stop and scanned the premises. In the lobby, sat a single security guard behind the desk. 

Leonie reported in out her radio. “Pinelli. Guard inside. No signs of disturbance.” She paused for a moment. “I'm going up for a closer look.” She pulled in and parked in the front.

Trying the large glass doors, Leonie found them to be locked. But the security guard hurried over to unlock the doors with a key card. “Good evening, officer. What can I do you for?” The man had a cheery face. 

There was bland Rite of Rebirth music playing lightly over the speakers. “We received an emergency call that there was a problem.” Leonie walked casually across the slick floor; eyes panned the area. 

The security guard moved back behind the desk as he gave her a huge smile. “Oh yes, we already had a false alarm. If I had to guess the computers are acting up. I’ve never been good with computers, its so bad the other guards give me a hard time about it.” He chuckled softly to himself.

Leonie let out a huff to acknowledge him. This felt like a complete waste of time. “Everything seems all in order. Sorry to water your time. Happy Rite.” Leonie tipped her hat and turned to leave.

\---

Hubert dropped down into the board room. The caked blood for Mr. Nadel stained the decorative glass partition. 

There was a deep sting in his left bicep and blood was staining his button down. With a hiss, he wiggled out of the ruined shirt to assess the damage. One of the bullets grazed him while he was in the air shaft. His arm hurt like the Eternal Flames but it was manageable and he could still move it.

Gripping the edges of his shirt, Hubert roughly ripped it in small strips. Winding it around the injury, Hubert was forced to tie it off with his teeth.

Once satisfied with his handy work, Hubert made to the windows and looks down at the street. A lone police car sat parked in circular drive. Hubert smirks down from the dark room. 

Five seconds pass, then ten and still all was quiet. The smirk on his face started to slip. The silence was driving him crazy now. “Did they send a fool?!”

Hubert, in a fit, rounded on the conference table to lift one of the big chairs and swung it at the window. The tempered glass whitened and cracked on the first blow. He struck the window over and over again. He lifted it a final time, but the sound of running stopped him.

A terrorist entered the run and both men stare each other down for a moment. They both react at the same time. The terrorist fired his gun, the bullets ripped into the table top and chairs. Hubert threw himself down behind the table. 

Hubert drew his pistol in time to train it on the terrorist as the man bent under the table. “What a shame. Drop your weapon!”

Another terrorist stepped into the doorway with her gun raised. “DUCK!”

The first terrorist dove out of the way, but the other wasn’t quick enough. Hubert fired twice and the woman dropped, sprawling in the hallway, machine gun firing blindly until she hits the floor.

The first terrorist leapt on top of the huge table. Hubert rolled on his back so he can cover either angle but it is clear to him that the man had the more enviable position. 

A hate filled voice came from above Hubert. “Next time don't hesitate.” 

Hubert aimed directly above him and fired twice into the underside of the table. The bullets rip through the table and the terrorist drops with a heavy thud next to Hubert. “Your instruction has been beneficial.”  
Hubert made his way out from under the desk and over to the window in time to see the police woman heading for her car. “NO!” He practically growled like an animal. 

Pounding his fist on the broken glass, there was a horrible crack. It was on the verge of breaking. Hubert wiped around, baring his teeth in frustration. He zeroed on the body of dead terrorist.

\---

Leonie buckled herself in and clicked on her radio. “One Azure Ten to Dispatch. False alarm on that 436. Everything’s good over here. Over.” 

She tossed her hat over her shoulder into the back seat. She started to hum the song she heard playing in the lobby. The Dispatch gave her the all clear and she put the car in reverse. 

Out of no where a body crashed on to the hood of her car. “GODDESS SOTHIS!” She ripped the radio of its cradle and yelled to dispatch. 

Machine gun rained down from one of the top floors. Leonie flattened herself against the seat and covered her head against the spray of broken glass.   
“One Azure Ten, please repeat.” The voice on the radio was a little to relaxed for Leonie’s liking.

Jumping up and slamming her foot on the accelerated, throwing the car in reverse away from the building. Leonie kept her head down and screamed curses. A half block away her car ran off the pavement and down a slope, finally slammed to a jarring halt in a parking lot.

Taking a few deep breaths, Leonie picked up her radio mike. “One Azure Ten, under automatic rifle fire at Verdant Industries! Requesting immediate back and SWAT assistance!” Her voice rose in pitch with each syllable.

\---

Hubert had a mad gleam in his eyes as he ominously smiled down at the scene unfolding below him. “Now, let us get started.”


	8. Chapter 8

Seteth leaned back in the desk chair and steepled his fingers as he stared out at the hostages. Sirens wailed outside as the first of the police squad arrived. A dark teal haired man with a stoic face was staring back as a taller man in a lavender suit that complemented his hair whispered in the shorter man’s ear. 

Seteth cut off Catherine and Cyril’s bickering. “All of you stay at your post. We knew police action was inevitable and, in a way, necessary. Allow them to continue their feeble efforts while we continue as planned.”

Catherine shot him a seething glare. “What about that rogue playing hero? He threatens everything!”

Seteth lazily shifted his eyes over to her, then back to the stoic man. “We still have the hostages. We are still in control.”

Before he can continue, one of the CB radios cracked to life. Seteth snatched it up off the desk with a stern look to the others in the room. “These radios are to remain silently.”

A cocky voice was slightly amused. “My apologizes, Seteth. I don’t believe I received that particular instruction. Perhaps you could send a memo with any further requests with the next round. On that note, I should send you my sympathies and inform you that two more of your men are dead. I made sure to alert the police to this tragic circumstance.” 

A hushed tension filled the room. Catherine looked like she was seconds from skinning someone alive. Seteth huffed out his nose as he looked off out the window for a moment. He turned back to his men. “Check on the others, don’t use the radio. Make sure he is telling the truth and find out if anyone else is missing.”

Once the terrorist had their orders, Seteth clicked the radio back on. “Are you still with us, Mr. Mystery Guest?” 

“I am here to stay. Unless, of course you are willing to let all those nice people leave.” There seemed to be a mocking smile behind the man’s voice. 

Seteth maintained his composer despite his frustration with the situation. Catherine stood close by, her seething rage coming off her in waves. Seteth gave her a look and a nod to which she storms out of the room. “Unfortunately, our guests are here to stay for the time being. I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage. You know who I am, but who are you?”

There was silence on the other end. Seteth grew impatient and decided to move the conversation along. “Are you just another Fodlen citizen, swept up by stories of rebellion? Another orphan of a bankrupt culture who fancies himself another Nemesis or Loog?”

The voice cut Seteth before he could continue. “Actually, I was more partial to Hresvelg. Something about inspiring armies and such.”  
Seteth was no longer amused with this conversation and his words were much harsher. “Do you truly think you stand a chance against us, Mr. Rebel?”

\---

Hubert held the radio up. “Failure is not an option, mother fucker.” 

He let the radio go silent and he continued up to the next floor. Suddenly another voice was added to the conversation. 

A young woman was sending out a broadcast to all nearby CD transmitters. “This is Sergeant Leonie Pinelli of the Derdrui Police Department. If the person who radioed for help on this channel can hear me, acknowledge this transmission...I say again...” She sounded like she had a good head on her shoulders.

Hubert fiddled with the radio to adjust to her frequency. “Ah Ms. Pinelli, so glad of you to join us.”

Leonie gave a scoff. “Care to identify yourself mister?”

Hubert thought for a moment before answering her. “Another time. For now, just know everyone is enjoying our little chat and some of them are a little to trigger happy. All you need to know at the moment is there are thirty or so hostages on the thirtieth floor, with probably two or three guards to cover a group that size. The leader is named Seteth, and besides the fire power he used on your car with, they have machine guns and sidearms to rival a small army. On top of that they had enough plastic explosive to demolish Fort Merceus.”

Hubert smirked at that last part. Let them wonder where he hid their explosives. “There should be at least one to cover the lobby, a couple with the hostages...I'd say they had about a dozen...but they're down to nine now, including the skydiver you had the pleasure of meeting. Judging by their arsenal, fancy clothing, and fake identification, they are more than well financed and a little to clever for their own good.”

The woman on the other end held the button down to prevent Hubert from continuing. They stood in silence for a moment before she came back over the radio. “I heard you… partner. I’ve got Derdrui’s finest on it, so hang in there. So, what should I call you while we work through this?”

He mulled it over for a moment then smiled. “You may refer to me as Will.” 

\---

Leonie stared up at then less than prefect building. “Alright ‘Will’, I’ve got my guys here and we’ve got you covered. So why don’t you find some cover and bunker down for a while.”

“Will” hums over the radio channel. “Very well. Good luck, Leonie.” 

Leonie lowered her radio and watched as an unmarked police car pulled up across the street and a woman in a purple trench coat climbed out. Not a strand of her white hair was out of place and she gave off an annoyed air of a Deputy Chief of Police Operations working on the Rite of Rebirth. She moved brusquely past police technicians and went straight to the group of officers. “Who has made contact with the group inside?”

Leonie straightened up as her superior addressed the crowd. “I am Ma’am. Sergeant Leonie Pinelli.” 

The shorter woman gave Leonie the up down before giving her a curt nod. “Lysithea Ordelia. What is the current situation?”

Leonie didn’t waste to much time. “We have a man on the inside. He didn’t give us his name, but he appears to be the one who called in the report. He’s managed to kill one of the terrorists.” She glanced over at her ruined car. There was still drying blood on the hood. “And he’s claimed to kill two others.” 

Lysithea’s face fell in annoyance. “Are you sure this man is not just a terrorist deceiving you?”

“No ma’am. In fact, I believe he may be a cop. Not DPD, but he definitely has a badge.” Leonie stood her ground against the tiny Deputy.

But Lysithea didn’t seem impressed. “How can you be certain?”

Leonie just shrugged her shoulders. “Call it a hunch. The things he said, like how he recognized a fake ID.” 

A news truck pulled up to distracted them from any further conversation. A new crew jumped out, followed by a woman. Judith Daphnel, the famed news investigated didn’t need an introduction. 

Lysithea looked beyond pissed. “Shit!”

\---

One of the terrorists was fiddling with a small portable television they pulled from an office. They landed on a channel showing the Verdant Industries building from the outside and Judith was reporting on the situation. 

Byleth stood up suddenly. Their guards were startled and didn’t react fast enough to stop him. Seteth sat over what looked to be blueprints, but the sounded of Byleth approaching made him look up.  
“I have a request.” Byleth didn’t flinch under the man’s death glare.

Seteth sat up straight and regarded Byleth with mild interest. “And who left you in charge?”

There were a few chuckles from the other terrorist as they waited for Byleth to answer. “You did when you murdered my boss.”

Seteth looked down with a half laugh and leaned back in the chair. “Alright, go on.”

Byleth did his best not to show any weaknesses. “We have a pregnant woman.” Seteth’s lip curled at that information. “Don’t worry, she isn’t due for another month or so. But sitting on the floor is bothering her back. I would like to have her moved to one of the offices with a sofa.”

“No. But I will have a sofa brought out.” Seteth waited for any other requests with an air of amused patients.

Nodded slowly, Byleth held Seteth’s before he continued. “It should also be noted that many of us had a lot to drink this evening. Unless you don’t mind a mess, I suggest you start taking us to the bathrooms.”

The cold man drummed his fingers on the desk for a moment. “We will see that your people’s needs are taken care of Mr.?”

The white backing of a polaroid on the desk caught Byleth’s eye, he recognized his small neat handwriting. “Eisner. Mr. Eisner.” Byleth squared his shoulders and turned to leave. 

\---

“This is Judith Daphnel, speaking to you live from Derdrui reporting on the current situation…”

Ignatz looked up from his sketch pad to give the radio a confused look. Rolling his eyes, he turned back to his work.

“...here at Verdant Industries where a terrorist group has taken the employees hostage. Since all the telephone lines have been cut, the only contact with the building had been through the use of CB communicators which the terrorists brought with them. The only communications with the police so far had been with an unidentified man has had several conversations which seem to indicate...”

Ignatz felt himself pale and looked around the outside of the limo. The metal gates of the garage had now locked him inside. “Well shit….” He reached back to the limo bar, not caring what he grabbed, and took a long pull straight from the bottle. The liquor burning the whole way down as he eyed his own CD radio.

\---  
Leonie watched the SWAT team strap of armor and their weapon. Lysithea was speaking with the SWAT Captain. Leonie went over to interrupt them. “What are you guys doing?

Lysithea looked bored. “We are sending the team in.”

Leonie felt her mouth drop open; she was flabbergasted. “Going in? There are at least thirty hostages in there and for all we know….”

Lysithea whipped around and gave Leonie a hard look. “We hardly know anything. If there are actual hostages, why hasn’t the terrorist made any demands? The only thing we know for sure is some one shot your car, a body fell out a window, and you’ve been in communication with some who fancies himself a hero.” 

The SWAT Caption information them the team was ready to go. Lysithea gave them the go ahead and the team moved into position.

There was a crackle on Leonie’s radio and ‘Will’ started talking. “It’s awfully quiet out there. Are you still there, Leonie? What’s going on?”

Leonie stiffened and Lysithea shook her head in warning. Leonie lifted the radio, still maintain Lysithea’s eye contact. “I’m here, but um we’re a little busy. Can I get back to you later?”

There was a tense silence before ‘Will’ started cursing them. “You fools, you utter and complete idiots! You’re planning on coming in here.”

The glare forming on Lysithea’s face was putting the pressure of Leonie to shut the man up. “Listen I’ll talk to you later. If you are what I think you might be, then you know what to shut up and pray to Sothis.” 

Leonie disconnected her radio. She hung her head as the temporary lights sparked on. Lysithea made a noise of approval before walking away with the SWAT Captain. Leonie followed not far behind. They listened to the SWAT team move towards the building. 

It wasn’t long before gun fire filled the air. The SWAT Captain remained unperturbed. “It’s panic fire, they can’t see anything.”

A few of the blinding lights started to pop out. Leonie scanned the air about them. “They’re shooting out the lights.” 

The shooting intensified. Lysithea whipped around to face the SWAT Captain. “Call them back!” 

The SWAT Captain was starting to sweat, but he didn’t stop the team from advancing. “They’re almost in."

The spray of bullets blasted out the last of the lights, throwing the area into darkness and removing the team’s cover. The shooting continued, followed by screaming. The SWAT Captain gave a signal and a armored car sped towards the building to save anyone left. 

Suddenly, a blast roared from the third-floor window and a shell hit the armored car. The car pitched forward, its front axle destroyed and unable to move. Another blast followed, again hitting the car.   
Leonie, Lysithea, and the SWAT Captain look on in horror as the armored car sat helplessly on fire. The sounds of the men screaming come over the police radio.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize, I really wanted to get this done by tomorrow. But I don't think that's going to happen. I've had the worst headache for the past two days and wasn't able to get as much done as I wanted. I'll do my best, please just bare with me a little bit.


	9. Chapter 9

“Fire again.” The cold sound of Seteth’s voice came over the CD radio.

It snapped Hubert from his terrified stupor. “Seteth, you son of a bitch. You’ve made your point. Let them go!” He growled back at the man listening. 

There was mild amusement in Seteth’s voice. “I will be sure to take that under advisement, Mr. Rebel Man. Now, as I said, fire again.” 

Hubert sank to the floor feeling utterly helpless as he waited for the next round. However, the delay was too long. They must have needed to reload.

Quickly jumping to his feet, Hubert ran over to an office supply closet where he hid some of the plastic explosives, he had stolen from the Machine Room. Picking up three and some extension cords, he ran to a desk. Using the extension cords, Hubert tied down the explosives and topped them off with typewriter to hold them down securely. 

Wheeling the death chair to the service elevators, Hubert pried open the doors and blocked them open with a fire axe he found on the stairwell. Looking over the edge, he could see the elevator car a few floors down. 

With a sneer Hubert pushed the chair into the shaft. “Enjoy the Rite gift, assholes.”

For a long pause there is nothing. Then, the shaft filled with light and an ungodly roar. Hubert was thrown back across the elevator corridor against the other back of doors by the concussive wave.

\---

The police took cover behind their cars. Leonie, Lysithea, and the SWAT Captain look like they had seen the face of Sothis as the building was rocked from the blast. They all jumped into action at once to pull their team out of there.

The sound of coughing caught Leonie’s attention and she pulled her radio off her belt. “Hey ‘Will’ was that you?”

“Yes, I took the matters into my own hands. Tell me, did it work?” 

Leonie grinned from ear to ear at this cocky bastard’s heroics. “Oh yeah it worked. We were able to get them out safe and sound. How did you manage to do that?”

“Those plastic explosives I acquired from our friends. Did I manage to set the building on fire?”

Leonie clicked her tongue as she surveyed the damage. “Unfortunately, no, but it will need one Eternal Flame of a paint job and a whole lot of duct tape after this.” Some of the other police got her attention and one held up two fingers. “Hey, the spotters confirmed you got two of them. Good job!”

“Only two? I guess my aim was off.” ‘Will’ gave a sadistic chuckle. 

Lysithea stormed over and ripped the radio out of Leonie’s hand. “Now, listen here mister! I do not have time for your hairbrained schemes! What do you think you were accomplishing by blowing up half the building?! There are a couple hundred people out here, too many of them civilians, and you showered them with shards of glass…!”

‘Will’ cut her off were a feral growl. “And who is this? The smartass who thought it was a good idea to send your team to get mowed down?!”

Lysithea’s face turned an unnatural red and she death gripped the radio. “You are currently speaking to Deputy Chief of Police Lysithea Ordelia, and it would do you well to remember it.”

“Well, ‘Deputy Chief of Police Lysithea Ordelia’ you have royal screwed up this situation. Why don’t you ask the officers in the armored car if they minded a little flying glass? Now, if you're not part of the solution, stop being part of the problem! Get off the Goddess damn radio and put Leonie back on!” 

The woman had to hold the radio back so the shouting wouldn’t blow out her ear drums. She thrusted it into back at Leonie cursing that man’s existence as she stormed off. 

Leonie rolled her eyes as she watched Lysithea leave. “Hello ‘Will.’ How are you holding up?”

The man sounded beyond pissed, his breathing was slightly labored. “Pretty fucking unappreciated.” 

“Well, I appreciate you and I think a lot of my fellow cops are in agreement. So, just hang in there, pal.” Leonie nodded at a few of the other police officers listening in.

“I thank you.”

\---

“Ouch.” Byleth plucked a sheard of glass out of his hand. He got it when he helped shield Hilda from a light fixture that fallen near them in the shaking. Luckily no one was seriously injured.  
Seteth and his men arguing in the Byleth’s office. Apparently, Hubert was giving them some serious trouble. Byleth did his best to hold back the pride bubbling up in his chest. 

Lorenz flapped out his handkerchief with one hand and took Byleth’s injured on in the other. The taller man pressed the purple silk on the bleeding wound. Byleth hissed a little at the pain. It wasn’t too deep, but it still stung.

Lorenz tied it off and patted Byleth’s hand. There was a warm, yet sad look in his eyes. He stood up. “I’m going to see what I can do.”

Worry was starting to overtake Byleth. “Where do you think you’re going?” 

“I am impatient of waiting to see who will kill us first, them or your husband.” Lorenz peeled Byleth’s hand away and fluffed up his jacket.

Standing too, Byleth turned Lorenz around. “And what do you think you’ll accomplish?”

Lorenz waved over one of the terrorists. “I have negotiated million dollar deals on a regular basis, surely I can bargain for our freedom.” He gave Byleth a weak smile before turning to Cyril. “I wish to speak with Seteth.”

Byleth felt his chest grow tight as he watched Lorenz be lead away. Hilda’s eyes were unbelievable huge with worry. Byleth bent down to comfort her. This was going to end badly.

\---

“I could have killed him by now, but you’re infuriating instance that we stick to this asinine plan of yours is ruining everything!!” Catherine was seconds from ripping her hair out. She even threw in a few Dadgain swears for good measure. 

Seteth waited patiently for her to finish her tirade. “If you would listen to me, he would have been neutralized already.” 

The blonde women turned on him unbelievably fast with a crazed look in her eye. “I DON’T want neutral! I want DEAD!!” 

A soft rap on the door interrupted their argument. 

The purple haired man pushed his way into the office. Seteth watched him enter and seat himself across from Seteth at the desk. 

“My name is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester and based on the operation you have here its clear you are not some small-time bandits here to steal some purses.”

Catherine rolled her eyes and Lorenz stiffed under her glare. Seteth nodded politely and waited for the man to continue.

With and quick adjustment of his tie, Lorenz tried to put an air of confidence. It wasn’t working. “Now, personally, I do not care much for your politics and honestly it is none of my business. I figure you are here to negotiate, correct?”

This conversation was going no where and Seteth was getting annoyed. “Amazing, you figured that all by yourself?”

“Business is business. You use a gun and I use a fountain pen. To put it in my terms, you are here on a hostile takeover and you grab us for some greenmail but you did not expect a poison pill was going to be running around the building.” Lorenz casually crossed his leg over a knee. If it wasn’t for the nervous drumming of his fingers over the armrest of the office chair, he would have appeared to be in just an ordinary business transaction. “Let us do business.”

With a frustrated huff, Seteth interlaced his fingers as he stared down the man. “What are you saying?”

Lorenz seemed to be thinking something over as he said at a picture frame of the teal haired man holding a tiny girl. He must have made up his mind because he looked back to Seteth with a determined look. “I can give you the man upstairs who is making a mess of things for you.”

Seteth finally gave this man his full attention. 

\---

“’Will’! Are you all right up there?” Leonie’s frantic voice came over Hubert’s CB radio. 

Hubert slammed a desk drawer shut and yanked opened another one. “I’m fine, though I could use something to eat.” 

There was a snort. “Well, I’ll just toss some herring up to you.” Leonie must have been feeling better.

After some more drawer slamming, Hubert gave up on his search. He reached in his pants pocket for his cigarettes, pulling his wallet out with the pack. He filled it open to look at his picture, but it wasn’t there. Shit, he forgot he left it on Byleth’s desk. “Do you have a family, Leonie?”

“No, having a little trouble in that department. But maybe someday. How about you?”

Hubert shoved his wallet back in his pocket and worked on lighting a cigarette. “Yeah, a husband and a daughter. I would like to see them again.”

“Sure thing, I’ll get you some ice cream for the reunion.” 

Hubert scoffed lightly. He shook his lighter, he still couldn’t get the damned cigarette lit.

A stern voice cut in. “Touching, truly touching Mr. Rebel Man. Or should I call you Mr. Vestra? Officer Hubert Vestra of the EPD?”

Hubert heart stopped in his throat. The second it started again, it pumped unbridled rage through his veins. “Mr. Hanneman in the sixth grade called me Mr. Vestra. My friends call me Hubert. You are neither!” The last part came out as a growl.

Seteth snicked on the other end. “I have someone who would like to talk to you. A very special friend from the party.”

The blood frozen in his veins. Curing Sothis, Hubert closed his eyes and waited for his fears to be confirmed.

“Hello Hubert.” A prissy voice took over.

Hubert never felt so shocked and hopeful at the same time. Still, this dumbass was going to cause problems. “Lorenz.”

There as a moment of hesitation. “Hubert, they gave me a chance to talk with you. I understand you think you’re just doing your job. But there are a lot of people down here who would have it a lot easier if you would just stop and let the Derdrui Police handle this.”

Hubert spoke his next words very carefully. “Lorenz what did you tell them?”

“I told them we are friends and I invited you as my guest to the party.” Hubert to hear the cracks starting to show in Lorenz’s lie.

Letting out a sigh, Hubert was only partially relieved. “Lorenz you need to stop whatever you think you are doing.”

“You are probably right.” Lorenz barely spoke above a whisper before clearing his throat. “Listen Hubert, they have agreed to let a few of the employees go in exchange for the detonators. Give them the detonators… or they will kill me.” He as least was smart enough to sound nervous.

Hubert closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall. There were other people listening, he knew that, Seteth knew that, and this was only going to end one way. Even that poor bastard was catching on.

“Hubert are you listening?” Lorenz sounded more lost now.

He held the radio in a white-knuckled grip. “Yes, I hear you, you Sothis damned imbecile!”

“The police are here now, let them deal with this. Tell these men where the detonators are so no one else gets hurt. There are nearly thirty people down here that need you to stop playing the hero.”   
“You don’t think I know that?! I want to talk to Seteth. Seteth, you son of a bitch! That man doesn’t understand the situation. He doesn’t know what kind of scum you truly are. But I do…” Hubert was speaking through thinly vailed fury. 

“Good, then you will give us what we want and save your friend’s life. It is time to stop this game,” Seteth seemed bored. 

Hubert needed to do something. “That asshole is not my friend! I barely know him! Lorenz, for Sothis sake, tell him the truth!!”

There was the sound of a gun being cocked. “Well, I wouldn’t beg….” That was the last thing Lorenz said. 

The shot chilled Hubert and he slummed to the floor.

More gun sounds rang threw the radio followed by screaming from the hostages. “Do you hear that? Tell me where my detonators are or shall I shoot another?” There was the sound of Seteth firing another shot and more screaming. “Soon or later, I might just get someone you do care about.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One thing I wanted to change is making the background characters seem less moronic. I don't want Lysithea's character to just be another dumb police chief who just causes more problems. And I couldn't make Lorenz a complete tool. I tried to write him out like he thought he was actually trying to help and not because he was some cocky jackass. 
> 
> Hopefully, I should have this completed by the end of the week.


	10. Chapter 10

Leonie pressed the back of her fist hard against her mouth to hold back the terror. Everyone was silent after loosing a hostage. The situation just escalated.

Lysithea charged over to her like a building storm. Someone was going to have to pay for that blood. “GODDESS DAMN IT! His rogue, vigilantly heretics got that man murdered!” 

Leonie pulled a dirty trick and raised the CB radio out of the shorter woman’s reach. “Sothis, can’t you ready between the lines! Hubert did everything he could to save that man… if he had surrendered then they both would be dead!” 

“He shouldn’t have gotten himself in that situation in the first place. Every move he makes has consequences and that last one was a life.” Lysithea was vibrating with such rage she was practically levitating. “Tell your ‘partner’ to either get in line or he’ll have to deal with me!”

There was a dangerous glint in Lysithea’s eyes, but Leonie was pissed off. “Hubert is up there alone. He’s tired and being hunted. He needs back up, not a lecture from a self-important Deputy Chief!”

The other officers took a few steps back. Lysithea was suddenly very calm, it was scary. “You are dismissed Pinelli. Go home.”

They locked eyes in silent stand out. Leonie was holding her ground pretty well against her superior. “You couldn’t drag me away.”

Before Lysithea could respond, she was interrupted the leader of the terrorists. “This is Seteth. I assume you realize the futility of direct action against me. We have no wish for further loss of life.”

Somehow with a slightly jump, Lysithea wrestled the radio from Leonie. “What are your demands? Please.” At the last moment she was able to gain some control over her anger.

There was a slight hum as Seteth thought it over.

\---

Seteth paced the vault room as he thought about what he wanted the police to do. “I have comrades in arms who are suffering in prisons as we speak. Leicester has a way of boasting their might, lets see if it can leave up to it.”

Hearing no reply, he cleared his throat and continued. “The following people are to be released from their captors. In Northern Sreng, the seven members of the National Liberation Front. In Albinea, the five imprisoned leaders of Loyaliste de Albion.”

He paused again in thought. “… In Morfis, the nine members of the Illusion Dawn Party.”

Catherine gave him a confused look before mouthing back the group’s name. Seteth gave a small shrug and clicked off the radio for a moment. “I read about them in New Dawn magazine.”

Pressing the talk button again Seteth finished up. “Once my demands have been met, the hostages in this building will be taken to the roof and accompany us in a helicopter to the Derdrui Porte Airport. Once we have made it safely there, you will be given further instructions. You have two hours to comply.”

The young woman’s voice cracked as she panicked. “Two hours?! Are you crazy?! I don’t have the authorization…. Hello? HELLO?”

Seteth was down with that conversation and set the CD radio on the desk. Catherine smirked. “Do you think they’ll even try?”

Seteth didn’t care one way or another. He glazed out over the office lobby. He could feel the scared eyes of the hostages on him. Particularly Byleth’s, though the man held more contempt then fear. He was a strong one, if Seteth was more of a vulgar man he would have entertained the idea of keep Byleth once all of this was through.

Turning the radio to the private, Seteth contacted Flayn up on the vault room floor. “How are we proceeding?”

The young girl was all too happy with her success. “Oh, this so amusing. Only one more to go, Brother!” Though the excitement leaked from her as she continued with her update. “Unfortunately, I cannot open the last lock. It is up to you now.”

“Do not fret Flayn. It is the Rite of Rebirth. It is the time for miracles.” Seteth turned to Catherine as the last of his niceties drained away. “I’m going to check on explosives. The Hunt down that bastard and bring me back those detonators.”

Catherine had a mad grin on her face as she turned away. “With pleasure.”

A new cop ran up to Leonie and Lysithea, he looked very out of his depth. “Um the FBI is here ma’am.” 

Lysithea straightened up and adjusted her tie. Leonie rolled her eyes and followed after her towards a big government car. Two agents got out; their black suits not even ruffled from the car ride.

The male agent approached them first with his badge flipped out for them to see. “I'm Special Agent Riegan of the FBI.” He motioned to an emotionless woman. “And this is Agent Edmund… no relation.” Agent Riegan smirked back at his partner from some sort of inside joke. A soft blush was the only thing that gave her away.

Lysithea stepped forward trying to seem calm, with a plastic smile. “I am Lysithea Ordelia pf the DPD. I am in charge of the situation.”

Agent Riegan gave them a cold smile. “Not anymore.”

\---

Hubert was essentially patrolling the floor he's staked out, constantly looking into every dark corner, gun held ready, moving toward the stairwell. He was still recovering from the shock of listening to Lorenz die and the astonishment of Seteth’s impossible demands.  
Hubert’s time was running out, one way or another.

As he took another step, Hubert knocked his bare toes into a metal beam. He had to bite his tongue against the pain. Who knew who was lurking about?  
A soft crash alerted him to something further down the mechanical floor. Hubert came up behind a man in a suit crouched on the ground. Hubert lowered his gun close to the man’s head.  
The man slowly turned and stared up at Hubert. The man’s hands are shaking, eyes filled with fear, he swallows, looks up at Hubert. “OhSothisplease! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! You're one of them, I know it!” The man cowered back.

Hubert was thrown off by this man. The man was dressed like a businessperson, but why wasn’t he with the other hostages. “Calm down, I won’t hurt you. Who are you and want are you doing up here?” Unfortunately, de-escalation was not one of Hubert’s strengths.

The man continued to panic. “I was looking for a way up to the roof. I… I thought I could signal for help.” The man started to stubble in that direction.  
“Don’t go that way! They have men up there. If you want to survive, you need to keep moving. Come, follow me.” Hubert stopped the man by placing a hand on his shoulder. The man visibly flinched back, but nodded his head and listened to Hubert’s instructions. Hubert led the man onward.


	11. Chapter 11

“There thirty, maybe more hostages, mostly on the thirtieth floor, and seven or eight terrorists.” Lysithea finished up her speech with military like precision.  
Agent Edmund leaned in to her partner. “Sounds like a standard A-7 scenario.” She barely spoke loud enough of the others to hear, but Leonie didn’t think it was for the benefit of privacy.

Agent Riegan gave a thoughtful nod. He rubbed his chin as he considered his next words. “Thanks, we’ve got it from here. When we need to commandeer your men, we’ll try to remember to let you know.”

Leonie might have her issues with Lysithea, but this guy seemed even more annoying. Agent Riegan seemed to think he was the smartest man on the scene. “Aren’t you forgetting something or someone?” Leonie crossed her arms and glared down her three superior officers. 

Agent Riegan and Edmund turned to Leonie and Lysithea stiffened up. Agent Riegan raised an eyebrow. “And that would be?”

Throwing an arm out in a sweeping motion. “Hubert Vestra! The man who gave us all that information. The reason you are only facing seven terrorists instead of twelve!” 

“He’s inside? Who is he?” Agent Edmund stared in awe up at the building. 

With a frustrated nod Lysithea answered the woman. “He may be a cop. We’re are looking into in….”

With a shrug, Agent Riegan started to walk away. “Well, if he’s not a terrorist and he’s not a hostage… then he’s not a part of the equation.” Agent Edmund followed close behind.

With a scoff, Leonie threw her hands up in defeat. Lysithea furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Leonie in thought. “That sounded similar to something terrorist said.” 

Both agents stopped suddenly and exchanged a look. “Sounds like we’re dealing with pros.” Agent Riegan gave an amusing hum and they continued on.

\---

The man was filling up the silence with nervous chatter. “There was a party… we were celebrating… then all of a sudden they were there… shooting… threatening us!” His eyes were panicky and his was wring his hands.

Hubert wanted to shake the man until he got a grip, but past experiences with frighten civilians taught him otherwise. Trying another tactic, Hubert pulled his cigarettes out of his pocket. There were only two left now. With a clenched jaw Hubert reluctantly offered the man one. 

The man took it with a pitiful, yet grateful look. “You… you don’t work for Verdant and if you’re not one of the them…”

With a huff, Hubert handed over his lighter. “A cop, from Enbarr.” This man evidently missed the radio broadcast relieving Hubert’s identity.

The man gave Hubert a puzzled look. “Enbarr? Why so far from home during the holidays?”

Taking a puff from his own cigarette, Hubert scoffed lightly. “I was invited to the Rite party, unfortunately.”

After a pause, Hubert caught the man staring at his bare feet. “At least I still have my pants. I’m Hubert Vestra by the way. And you are?”

“Oswald, Godfrey Oswald.” The man finished his cigarette and stomped it out on the ground. 

Hubert took his hand gun for his shoulder hostler and checked the magazine. “Well Godfrey, do you know how to use a gun?”

Giving Hubert an apologetic half smile, the man looks down for moment. “I went to a combat ranch one weekend for a company retreat… and we participated in that game. You know the one where you shot fake guns loaded with red paint. It must sound very absurd to you.” Godfrey gave a small self-deprecating laugh. 

Hubert did his best to hid his frustrations as he snapped a new magazine into the gun and hands it over. “It will have to do. It is time for the real thing Godfrey.”  
Once he was satisfied, Hubert turned to lead them out. But before he could make it more than a few paces, he held the barrel of the gun press to the back of his head and heard the click of an empty gun fire. 

Hubert felt a self-satisfied sneer spread across his face. “Seteth, I presume. I must say you could have been an award-winning actor with that performance.” 

Seteth went white as he pulled the trigger a few more times. Hubert raised his machine gun as jubilation over takes him. The bastard is right there in front of him. However, before he could level the gun to Seteth’s head the elevator dinged and bullets sprayed the room.

Hubert ducked into an alcove. He peeked out to find Seteth gone. Gates, Cyril, and Catherine had taken his place. Catherine had the look of a mad dog let loose.

He cursed loudly as more bullets rained down on him. Twitching his face a few times, Hubert pepped himself up and rolled out, sending back his own volley of bullets. He managed to hit Gates, sending him flying as blood pours from Gates’ chest.

The win is short lived as Seteth reappeared and snatched up Gates’ gun. Hubert pivoted as he continued to fire as he tries to prevent the terrorist from flanking him. A stray bullet shatters a glass partition, sending shards near Seteth, slightly cutting up his face.  
Seteth paused and looked at the glass around him. “The glass! Shoot the glass!” Demonstrating his point Seteth fired at more of the remaining glass partitions. Catherine followed suit.

As glass continued to shattered around him, Hubert shot of a burst to keep their heads down, he whirled and jumped on top of a long secretary desk and ran across the room. Their bullets continued to follow him, barely missing him. The large computer equipment let off sparks as it too was fired upon.  
Hubert reached the end of the desk, diving off and rolled to the floor, his bare foot landing right on top of the jagged glass shards. Biting his tongue to hold back a screaming of pain, Hubert kept going. He realized to late he dropped the bag of detonators.

\---

Byleth held Hilda’s hand though a panic attack. The poor woman was going her best to hold it together and she was doing better than most. Seteth and Catherine stormed off the elevator. Seteth tossed a bag to on of the terrorist guarding them. The man smiled and took off. Catherine punched a nearby cabinet and returned to the office with Seteth close behind.

“That guy looked real upset, Mr. Eisner.” Hilda looked up at Byleth in awe.

A feeling of relief flooded Byleth and he chewed on his bottom lip to keep from smiling. “Good, that means he’s still alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite scene in the movie. Writing this, there was no way I could do it justice. As the audience, we know is the big baddie the whole time and we're on the edge of our seats because the main is in danger. Yet, everyone gets to see just how smart John McClain really is. Also, Alan Rickman may be super famous of Harry Potter. But this scene is what really made him a star in my book. The acting within acting is fabulous and the switching between English, American English, and German in a effortless manner, chief kisses.
> 
> Anyway, I got to get back to writing. There is only two hours until midnight and I'll be damned if I don't finish this before the end of the week.


	12. Chapter 12

Leonie fidgeted for a moment before pulling the radio up. “Hey, ‘Will’ are you still there?”

There is a moment of silence before he answers. “Unfortunately. Also, there are is one less terrorist mucking about.”

Leonie tapped the radio to her head, a smile forming. “You know, the guys have a bet going. But the odds aren’t in our favor.”

There was a grimace and hiss. “Never tell me the odds. That being said, I’m in for twenty bullions. I’m good for it.” There was a chuckle followed by a painful groan. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did you end up answering security calls?”

Leonie stared at the pavement of a long time as the painful memory haunted her. “There was an accident. After that I knew didn’t have what it took anymore.”  
The sarcasm coming from the radio was palpable. “Consider how you drove earlier, I’m not surprised.” There was a quiet scream as Hubert continued with whatever he was doing. 

Leonie realized he need her to talk to keep him distracted from whatever he was doing. So, she dug deep and continued her story. “I hurt someone…. There had been an armed robbery and I was closest to the scene. I had every excuse in the book, found him in a dark alley, he pulled a gun, and what not. I shot him first. Ever since, I can barely look at my gun, let alone pull aim it at someone.” She massaged her forehead.

Hubert’s voice was uncharacteristically soft after that. “Sothis I’m… I apologize. I should have made fun.”

Tucking her head to her shoulder for a moment before turning back to the radio, Leonie did her best to bounce back. “You didn’t know.”

Across the street, Agents Riegan and Edmund were speaking with a someone in a manhole. The conversation didn’t look to be going well. Leonie raised the radio close. “Just so you know, the situation is no long in our hands.”

“Fuck! FBI?” Hubert sounded tired.

The arguing across the street picked up and was seconds from a full out brawl from where Leonie stood. “Yep, and they’re running the anti-terrorist playbook.”

It wasn’t a moment later that the whole street went black.

\---

Up in the vault room, Flayn sprung up in delight as the safe doors gave a loud clunk as they swung open. With a squeal she performed a little dance and picked up her radio. “We’re in, brother. It truly was a Rite miracle.”

\---

Seteth did his best to maintain his cool. A crackle on the public radio channel alerted him to an incoming transmission. “This is Agent Riegan of the FBI. The Leicester Department has arranged for the release of your comrades. The helicopters you requested are on the way.”

“Splendid.” Seteth wickedly smiled over at Catherine. “It will be moons before they understand where they went wrong.”

He gave a nod to Catherine one finally time. “Finish this.” With a crazed look in her eye, she took off.

\---

Hubert finished ripping the last of his button-down shirt up into makeshift bandages. He winced in pain as he used some to patch up his foot. Out of reflex, he went of his wallet to look at the picture of his family before realizing it wasn’t there.

He knocked his head against the bathroom wall, where he was hiding. He clicked the radio back on. “Pinelli, I think my time is fast approaching. I want you to do something for me. Find my husband, you’ll know how once this is over. Tell him, I was a jerk. I didn’t think he could actually make it when I should have had been by his side the whole time. We were a team, until I thought I ruined it.” 

For the first time in a very long time, Hubert felt tears run down his face. “He was the best thing to happen to me, my bird. I always thought the real difficulty was declaring my love for him, but in truth it was saying I’m sorry.”

There was a wet hiccup on the other end. “Tell him yourself, you jackass. You are getting out of this alive. Do you hear me?!”  
Hubert chuckled softly. “Alright.”

Pulling himself together, Hubert existed the bathroom. He hobbled towards the hall, favoring his least injured foot. Retracing his steps, Hubert looked over the room for the detonator bag. “If I had stolen all the explosives, why worry about getting the bag back?”

Hubert hopped on his better foot for a moment. Titling his head back to think over the possibilities, Hubert was paralyzed with terror as he saw a detonator line pressed up against an exposed pipe. Using the last of his lighter, Hubert hobbled after the line until he come to a halt. Explosives were everywhere.

“Fuck! Leonie, it’s a double cross!” Suddenly a gun barrel pressed against his head. Hubert stiffened. 

Catherine took his Barretta, tossed it away. Then Catherine took the radio and with a menacing smile, Catherine smashed the transmitter underfoot. “I think we both know this is no longer going to be a professional curtesy.”

\---

Byleth watched as Seteth loaded his gun and institutionally put himself between Hilda and the danger. For some Sothis known reason, the news report seemed to turn up the volume. On the portable television, a fuzzy picture of Judith Daphnel standing before a strong, but frighten Raphael shielding Wendy from the reporter’s camera.

“Please, would you deny the child one last chance to speak to her fathers?” Judith had pushed her way up to Byleth’s front door.

Raphael stood firm. “I'm sorry, but Mr. Eisner said I couldn't let strangers into the house.”

But Judith was persistent. “Please, we just want a comment from Hubert Vestra’s daughter.”

Raphael managed to slam the door in the new report’s face, but not before Wendy’s tiny voice rang out. “My papa is a force you cannot hope to defeat! And my daddy will give it his all!” The girl must have thought she was being encouraging.

Byleth felt his blood go cold and Hilda tightened her grip on his hand, impossible strong. Byleth struggles to stay composed, but couldn’t. He slowly turned his head, looked at Seteth. In his grasp was a small polaroid, that Byleth knew was the one he sent Hubert, of them at the harvest festival. Byleth could barely breath as Seteth obsessively grinned down at the hostages.

Seteth raised his arm and fired a shot into the air causing the hostages to scream. “Mr. Vestra, pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

\---

Moving lightening fast, Hubert drove his elbow into Catherine’s face, her weapon clatters on the floor. Hubert followed his first blow with another. Catherine recovers, and with a spinning kick slammed Hubert back.

They moved towards each other, each sizing the other up, each looked over the terrain. Hubert knew his wasn’t good in a brawl. He just needed to be smarter. “You seem like a better opponent, less likely to break your neck on a flight of stairs.”

Catharine crashed in a fit of rage. She took several swings, only a few landed. 

Hubert spat out some blood after another successful dodge. “You should've heard her scream when I broke her fucking neck….” It may have been a lie, but it still riled Catharine up, causing her attacks to become sloppier. 

She stepped in quickly with a deadly move. Hubert twists free, slams an elbow into Catherine’s kidney. She backs off, with a painful huff. She back off with a nod of respect.

\---

Agent Riegan spun his gun for a moment before he leaned back against the helicopter’s walls. “I say, we stay low. They think we’re a transport, not a gun ship.”

Agent Edmund simply stared at the floor. “And it this plan backfires?”

With a rub of his chin Agent Riegan mulled it over. “At most we’ll lose twenty percent of the hostages.”

With a nod of agreement, Agent Edmund looked out the window of the helicopter with remorse. “I’m sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ten minutes until midnight, I'm not going to make it! So, close I got to keep going! I apologize for all the typos, but there's a deadline to meet!


	13. Chapter 13

Cyril started loading the bonds into the big cases that carried all their gear in when they entered. Seteth and Flayn looked curiously at Byleth, who glaring coldly at them. 

Flayn circled the man with a hum. “A prize for us, brother?” She gave Byleth a shove forward, into Seteth’s arms.

Seteth ran the back of his hand down Byleth’s face. “A policeman's husband might come in handy.” He picked up a CB radio. “Vestra, Vestra are you there?”

Silence met him. “We need to hurry.” 

Flayn began closed the lid on the last of the bond-stuffed case, carries it out of the room. 

Byleth’s eyes follow her exit while the others continued. “After all your posturing, all your speeches...you're nothing but a common thief.”

Seteth gripped the man’s face tightly. “I'm an exceptional thief, Mr. Vestra. And now that I'm moving up to kidnapping, you should be more polite.” Not giving Byleth time to respond, Seteth backhanded him, sending him sprawling across the floor.

\---

With a warrior’s yell, Catherine drove at Hubert back with a sweeping head kick and then another one. Hubert staggered before getting in one hard punch.  
Catherine charged at him. Hubert fell backwards. Using that momentum, he kicked his legs upwards and propelled Catherine into the air. 

She landed in a loop of chain hanging over a turbine and became entangled.

Thinking quickly, Hubert jumped to his feet, yanked the other end of the chain. Catherine was jerked upward by the neck. 

She kicked and failed on the ground until her face turned blue. Hubert held on for dear life until the woman stopped moving. 

With a few hard breaths, Hubert snatched up a hand gun from the floor.

\---

The helicopter closed in on the roof. One of the terrorists opened the door and led the hostages to the roof. A few bullets ripped through his back.

A blooded and battered man jumped over the fallen body as the hostages scattered in a panic. The man fired on the helicopter with bullets causing it to back off.

Hilda continued to back up from the crazy man. But the edge of the roof was at her heels and she stumbled.

The man gripped her arm tightly and pulled her to towards the center. “Where is Byleth?!”

Hilda choked slightly as she recognized the man. “They took him, they saw Wendy on TV and….” She let out a sob.

Hubert shook her lightly. “The top of the roof is rigged with explosives! Get everyone on the lower levels, do you hear me?! The helicopters are useless.”  
Before she can respond, Hubert stepped back and fired his gun into the air causing more panic.

Hilda was over this whole evening and she wasn’t about to die now. “You heard the man, back inside!”

\---

Hubert forced the last of the hostages, screaming, back into the building. Just in time to, as the helicopter returned and opened fire on him.

Hubert dove out of the way as more gunfire erupted around him. “What in the Eternal Flame?! I’m on your side!”

With a last-ditch effort, Hubert spotted a fire hose. Making up his mind and with the chopper looming behind him, Hubert slung the gun over his shoulder and ran for the fire hose. 

Hubert unreels it a few times around his back and under his legs. He looked over the edge, hesitated. “Fuck this!”

With a leap of faith, Hubert threw himself from the building. Just in time to as the roof exploded in a fireball. 

The helicopter was forced off course in the explosion.

Hubert ducked against the following debris. As he bumps against the side of the building, he can feel the fire hose losing slack. “Shit!” 

He fired at the glass window until it broke and swung himself into the room. He smashed through the shattered glass and rolled onto the floor. Finally, Hubert came to a stop and caught his breath with relief as he rose to one knee.

\---

Byleth covered his head as the ceiling came down around him. Terrorists continued to work on loading up the condense of the vault. Everyone is in a panic now.  
\---

Ignatz was huddled down on the floor of the back seat, the stuffed animal held over his head for as much company as it was for protection. As the building stopped rocking Ignatz snuck a peek out from under the fake fur and saw a delivery truck. 

A young female terrorist stepped into a white paramedic's jumpsuit and zips it up. She hops into the cab and pulled the truck away from the loading dock.

Stealthily, Ignatz crawls into the front of the limo and crept it after the delivery truck. His luck ran out once the woman caught his eye through the window. Not thinking, Ignatz slammed on the gas and crashed into the delivery truck. Pushing it back several yards.

The woman stumbled out of the delivery truck and thinking fast, Ignatz leapt from the limo and decked her. The young woman lay unconscious. “Raphael is not going to believe this!”

\---

Hubert, as best he could, calmly walked into the vault room. With a swift move, he busted Cyril over the head, laying him out cold.

Seteth spun around with Byleth tight in his grasp. He didn’t seem that surprised by Hubert’s entrance.

“Hubert! Get out of here!” Seteth shook Byleth violently at his outburst.

Looking around at the empty safe, Hubert could feel rage over take him. “A robbery?! All this for a fucking robbery?!”

Seteth kept his cool, despite his odds. “It’s much easier to disappear when they think you are dead. Which is what you will be soon enough. Drop your gun” He raised a gun and pushed into Byleth’s temple. “Move and he will die too.”

Hubert paused in the door of the vault. Byleth gave him the slightly head nod. Hubert threw his gun to the floor and put his hands behind his head. “It seems you are playing the rebel now, Seteth.”

The green haired man raised his gun. “Failure is not an option, mother fucker!”

Hubert moved faster. “Byleth!”

Instantly, Byleth sidestepped and jabbed his elbow into Seteth’s face. Hubert grabbed his Barretta that he tapped to his back and shot Hans high in the chest. The bullet passed right through Seteth, and the shattered the window behind him.

Wide eyed, Seteth stubbled back. His hand still clutched Byleth’s in a tight grip. He was reeled backwards and fell out the windowsill, yanking Byleth with him.

Hubert dove after them and held on to Byleth with dear life. But as they were both pulled down, Hubert’s body is drug across the broken glass, cutting into his skin. His blood making it difficult to hold onto Byleth.

Byleth used his free hand to hold onto the broken windowsill as Hubert pulled harder. Looking down, Hubert saw Seteth was only holding on by a purple silk handkerchief.

With strong pull, Hubert tore the handkerchief to send Seteth plummeting to his death.

With the last of his strength, Hubert pulled Byleth back up into the safety of the room. Once they are both safe, Byleth ripped off his coat and covered Hubert. 

As the exhaustion sunk in, Hubert wiped some blood off of Byleth’s cheek only to spread more. “Do you mind if I sleep in your guest room?”

Byleth gives him a watery smile and blinked his tears away. “Sure, or you can sleep in our bed.” Byleth crushed his lips against Hubert’s in the bloodiest kiss ever. If Hubert wasn’t so tired from blood lost, he would have been more than happy to continue. However, he probably needed at least a band aid.

\---

Leonie watched as the last of hostages were led out of the building. Smoke and ash fell to the ground as ambulance sirens filled the air. Agents Riegan and Edmund were licking their wounds off somewhere.

It wasn’t before two men existed the building. One was spotting a bruised cheek and holding up the other, who looked like death itself.

Pushing through the crowd, Leonie came face to face with the man from the radio. “Hubert?”

Hubert gave a smirk and waved a hand at the man keeping him on his feet. “Leonie, I’d like you to meet my husband.”

Leonie stuck out her hand to shake Byleth’s. “A pleasure. I guess Hubert doesn't need me to give you that message anymore.”

Byleth looked between the two for a moment. “What message?”

Despite being a step from death’s door, Hubert gave Leonie a heated glare. Which she just laughed off.

Leonie led them over to a limo driver, who just appeared out of no where at the end. 

But they were interrupted by Judith. “Mr. and Mr. Vestra...any comment on your incredible ordeal? What are your feelings now that it's all over?”

Without a beat, Byleth steadied Hubert on his own feet and decked Judith in the mouth. She fell, dropping the mike with an electronic squeal. Hubert looked at his husband with awe, who simply shrugged.  
Judith rubbed her jaw as she looked up to her camera man. “Did you get that?”

As the couple limped forward, Ignatz opened the back door for them. “If this is how you celebrate the Rite, I better be invited to your Millennium Festival party!”

Hubert hit him on the shoulder before he dragged Byleth into the limo for more kisses.

Leonie smiled as she watched it drive into the night, hopefully towards a hospital. Lysithea ran up a moment later. “Wait! I didn’t debrief you!”

Doubling over with laughter, Leonie nearly knocked the shorter woman off her feet. “Happy Rite of Rebirth, Lysithea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I guess two hours past due isn't that bad. I'm not going to lie, I'm so tired and I've watched Die Hard on repeat too much. However, I'm happy I did it.
> 
> I'm going to take a break to work on my other projects for a bit. But I'll return to my "It's the 80's" series soon. If you want a hint on what's coming next, just remember "I'll be back."

**Author's Note:**

> I'm totally one of those people who thinks Die Hard is a Christmas movie. I mean it really embodies the holiday spirit. There's hope, love, family drama, fighting, someone gets shot, it's got everything. 
> 
> So in the celebration of the holidays, here's my version of Fire Emblem: Three Houses Die Hard edition. I hope you enjoy!


End file.
